The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-03-16

u the whole English nation was being con-
yertai to God, for it was announced as certain
by philosophers that on that coming Friday
the world would perish. Friday came, and
there were no portents no fires in the air, no
earthquakes The day passed along just like
the night came, it is said that in London there
was scene of riot, and wassail, and
drunkenness, and debauchery such as had
never been witnessed. They forgot their VOW,
they forgot their repentance, they forgot
their good resolutions. o, how much human
nature in that! While trials and misfortunes
come to us, and we are down deep in dark
ness and trouble we make VOWS. We say:
20 Lord do so, and I will do So" The dark
ness passes, the peril goes away. We are as
we we're before, or worse; for oh, how often
have seen men start for the kingdom of God,
come up to within arms reach Of it, and then
90 back farther from God than they ever
were before, dropping from the very mount
of their privilege into darkness forever! Oh,
how ungratefuI we have been! Do you know
how much God has done for you and for mef
Have you never felt it? How nuch He did
for YOU to dayl Who spread the table
for youl Who watched you last nighta
Who has been kind and good to you all your
life long2 Oh how ungrateful we have been!
Methinls the goodness Of God ought to lead
this whole audience to repentance. | know
not your individual history: Some Of you
never saw before, some of you will never
see again; but know that God has been
good to you. What return have you madei
There was q steamer on one Of the Western
lakes heavily laden with passengers, and
there was a little child who stood on the side
of the taffrail, leaning over and watching the
water, when she lost her balance and dropped
The mother cried: "Save my child! Save
NV childm There seemed none disposed to
leap into the water. There was Newfound-
land dog on deck. He looked up in his mas
ter's face, as if for orders. His mas.
ter said: ''Tray, overheard, catch 'em!"
The dog spraug into the water, caught
the child by the garments. and swan
back to the steamer. The child was picked
up by loving hands, the dog was lifted on
in utter thanksgiving to that dog, threw her
arms around its neck and kissed it; but the
dog shook himself OFF from her embrace, and
went and laid down as though he had accom-
plished nothing. Shall mother be grateful to
a dog that saves her child, and be migrate
full to the Son Of God who, from the heights
of heaven, plunged into the depths of dark.
US up out Of our sin and place US on the rock
Of ages? Oh, the height, the depth, the length,
the infnity, the horror of our ingraitudel
Don't YOU treat Jesus like that any more.
Don't you thrust Him back from your soul.
He has been the best friend you ever had You
will want Him after awhile. When the
world is going away from your grasp, and all
the lights that shine on your soul are going
out. and the friends that stand around you
can do you no good, and you feel your feet
slipping from beneath you-oh, then you will
want Him-the loving Jesus, the sympathetic
Jesus, the pardonlng Jesus-to stand close by
you, and hold you up "amid the swelling OF
Jordanp'